Of all the highlights from opening night -- from the thrilling finish in Chicago between the Cavs and Bulls to the new-look Pistons to Steph Curry's vintage show on the Warriors' ring night -- one image stood out.
LeBron James flat on his back.
It was the first night of an 82-game journey -- more than likely 100-plus for teams like the Cavs -- and the player who holds the key to it all couldn't even stand or sit up during rest periods on the bench.
It's worth noting that it was only four months ago when James averaged 46 minutes a night during the NBA Finals, a monumental physical effort. James' body was so exhausted, depleted, dehydrated and inflamed between games that he underwent nearly around-the-clock treatment under the capable care of his longtime personal trainer, Mike Mancias.
From the looks of things, Mancias is going to be even busier this season. So, too, will James' teammates.
LeBron absolutely carried the Cavs -- all of Northeast Ohio, really -- on his aching back this past June, all the way to a sixth game in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. He did so without All Stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. He did it with reckless abandon, putting his responsibilities as the leader of the team ahead of his own personal well-being.
This is what the best competitive athletes do. It's what they sign up for, and it's why they make millions upon millions of dollars.
It's also why many of them can't walk or stand upright by the time they're 60.
For the King, heavy is the head that wears the crown -- and burdened is the back that supports all that weight.
James, 30, missed a career-high 13 games last season, taking two weeks off in January to tend to a sore knee and receive an anti-inflammatory injection in his back. To the eyes of the basketball world, he returned better than ever -- though only those within James' tight circle of trust understood the incredible effort that went into keeping him on the floor.
He received another injection in his back about two weeks ago, and on opening night, he proclaimed himself ready to go. And for the most part, he was, with 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the Cavs' 97-95 loss to the Bulls on Tuesday night.
"I know the work that I put into it," James told reporters after the game. "I know how I treat my body and my body responded very well from the shot that I had two weeks ago. I didn't just sit around. I actually worked on a lot of things to try to help me stay balanced and keep me going in the right direction."
It became evident on opening night that James' direction this season will zigzag a bit. Irving is still sidelined after fracturing his kneecap in Game 1 of the Finals, but Love was back in the lineup against the Bulls and had 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting. Once the Cavs are whole again, it would be wise to put James on a Dwyane Wade-like maintenance program. The most sensible outcome for Cleveland during the regular season would appear to be James eclipsing the career-high 13 games he missed a year ago.
Barring Chicago's own bleak recent history with health, the two teams we saw last night at the United Center will be the last two teams standing in the Eastern Conference in May. The question that beamed from Chicago to a national TV audience on Tuesday night was whether James will still be standing -- or lying flat on his back.
That, without question, will be the biggest issue for the Cavs as they try to reach their second straight Finals and James' sixth in a row.
Somehow, eight months seems like an awfully long time.
